The 11 Best Backpacks for College

College backpacks have to meet specific criteria. They have to be large enough to safely fit a laptop, books, lunch, a water bottle, snacks, your phone, keys, a change of clothes, your Frisbee, and err… other stuff. Weatherproofing is also ideal, unless you’re headed to SoCal, which doesn’t have weather.

Of course, a nice balance of comfort and style is appreciated, as well. But most of all, college backpacks have to be built to withstand at least four years of abuse. Daily treks to and from class do damage over time. So can bike commutes, camping trips, flights home, accidental frat parties, vengeful boyfriends and/or girlfriends, and your disgusting roommate.

Let’s be real here: You’re not shopping for just a pack, you’re choosing a constant, reliable companion.

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Jansport

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Jansport Right Pack Backpack

Sure, it’s not as hi-tech or high-end as the other backpacks on this list, but this Jansport is a great basic option. Featuring a couple frontside pockets, and a large main compartment (including, of course, a laptop sleeve), this backpack is best for the student who just wants to keep things simple, dammit.

More of a carry bag than a traditional backpack, the Sac is for the student who thinks all this backpack hype is a little over the top. Inspired by vintage boat bags, the Sac’s treated canvas provides durability at a low cost, and the deep design means it can easily double as a beach or shopping bag.

The savvy college student knows that a backpack needs to carry more than books, snacks, a phone, and a computer. One day, you may need to lug a sleeping bag on the bus, or haul an agitated dog to the vet, or deliver one of those giant three-foot supermarket sandwiches to your Wednesday night study group. The simply designed Roadrunner Medium Anything Pack has a main pocket for all your school gear, but also sports a pair of looped compression straps on the outside to help you carry much more without increasing the size of the bag.

There’s nothing like landing after a long flight home for Thanksgiving and finding your phone or computer dead in your bag. Tylt’s Energi Backpack comes with a built-in battery that can charge up to four devices at a time over USB. It includes a cable pass-through system that prevents everything from getting tangled together, and is designed to be TSA-friendly to prevent your bag from being endlessly searched on the security line.

Thule’s Paramount 29L is all about organization. A dual zipper system for select compartments allows you to access your laptop, for example, from different areas of the bag depending on your situation. Its pocket system is also compulsively organized, helping you quickly and effortlessly retrieve your cell phone and plane tickets (provided, of course, you remember where you zipped them up in the first place).

Are you convinced that the super-intense guy in your Ab Psych class is up to something? Maybe like trying to steal your hard-earned bitcoins? If only you had a way to protect your digital assets and look sophisticated doing it. Cole Haan’s Zerogrand Commuter Pack comes with an aluminum-lined Blackout Pocket designed to prevent electronic transmissions, keeping your electronics and credit cards safe and unhackable.

Chrome’s Bravo 2.0 Backpack checks all the boxes—waterproof main compartment, easy access to the padded laptop compartment, and external straps for hauling additional gear. Its twenty-five liter capacity is on the larger size, and it’s available in a variety of earth tones. The truck tarpaulin liner and military grade nylon used to build the bag are guaranteed for life.

Do business majors still need to carry briefcases around campus? Did they ever? Who cares. Topo Designs’ Commuter Briefcase lets you live in the business world, but only when you want to. With stowable backpack straps, a detachable shoulder strap, and two leather carrying handles, you can transform yourself from a backpack toting hippie, to a shoulder strapped cool kid, to a briefcase carrying captain of industry… all in the course of a day’s studies.

Even if you L-U-V love your backpack, sometimes you wish it was just a little bit bigger, or maybe a little bit smaller. The Arkiv Field Backpack from Mission Workshop is a modular system with a twenty liter, weatherproofed backpack as its base. From there, you can snap and strap on more compartments to increase your carrying ability. Optional add-ons are designed to carry a computer, a phone, your tools and so on.

Reminiscent of an old-school canvas Army backpack, Waterfield Designs’ Bolt Backpack is thoughtfully designed and crafted from waxed canvas and full-grain leather. Put together by “the most skilled sewing team in San Francisco,” it has separate compartments for a laptop and a tablet, and seven additional pockets for pens, phones, chargers and so on.

So you’ve finally vanquished your foe after five grueling attempts, and all his high-end gear is now your hard-earned loot. But man, how are you going to lug all those potions, armor, blades, gems and gold out of there? You’re nearly overloaded as it is! It’s a good thing you equipped your Backpack of Holding, brave Paladin. Now go find thyself a mage for some healing.

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